Printing device



Oct. 17, 1933.

w. T. GoLLwlTzER PRINTING- DEVICE Filed Deo. 18, 1930 Patented Oct. 17,1933 Y UNITED STATES PRINTING DEVICE Walter T.'Gol1witzer, Chicago,Ill., assigner to Addressograph Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporationof Delaware Application December 18, 1930 Serial No. 503,161

6 Claims. (Cl. 101--369) This invention relates to printing devices ofthe character sequentially passed through printing machines and fromwhich printing impressions are selectively made.

Printing devices of the character to which my invention appertains aresometimes made in one piece, that is, the printing characters aredirectly embossed on the body of the device, and sometimes theseprinting devices embody a frame on which plates, having the printingcharacters embossed thereon, are detachably secured. 'Ihese printingdevices are usually arranged for classification and this may be done bysecuring detachable tabs thereto or by providing notches, openings orthe like for this purpose. When not in use the printing devices arestored in drawers of suitable cabinets in sequentially classiiiedarrangement. Preferably the means providing the classification are soarranged that the classication of a particular plate may be readilyascertained when the plates are stored in drawers.' When the printingdevices are introduced into the magazine of a printing machine and arewithdrawn therefrom and passed through the machine, the classificationmeans are acted on by detectors which operate mechanisms that selectonly printing devices oi a certain classiiicationand these selectedprinting devices are then used in a printing operation or are skippeddepending upon the set-up of the machine. The size of the printingdevice is usually deiinitely determined and therefore the number oiclassifications that may be provided is limited by the size of the spaceon the printing devices that may be used for this purpose. The salientobject of my invention is to providea novel classiiication for printingdevices that may be readily associated with printing devices and whichwill embody a large number of classication markers in a compact space.

The markers of each classiiication constitute what is known as a primaryselection, and when the printing devices are passed through the machinethe selection may be determined from any one oi these primary selectionsor the selection may be determined by a determined group of such primaryselections. It is therefore another object of my invention to provide aclassiiication for printing devices which will greatly iacilitate theselecting of the printing deviceiduring passage through the machineeither individually or in groups.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a printing device towhich detachable tabs may be secured and on which tabs theclassification markers may be provided; and to provide classificationmarkers which will be of restricted size in order that a plurality ofsuch markers may be arranged on each ofthe tabs.

In the selected embodiment of the invention co illustrated in theaccompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of one form oi printingdevice with which my invention is associated; Y

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view taken substantially on the line l2-2 onFig. 1; c5

Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are elevational views of the tabs of my invention,showing different positions of the markers; and

Fig. '7 is a perspective View of the tab illustrated in Fig. 4.

In the embodiment .of the invention illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing I have shown a printing device 8 which may be, for example, ofthe character set forth in the patent to H. E. Hubbard, No. 1,677,449,patented July 17, 1928. This printing device includes a frame havingretaining devices 9 thereon which serve to secure printing plates,having the printing characters embossed thereon, on the frame 8, but itis to be understood that the invention might be used on a so-calledone-piece printing plate where the printing characters are embosseddirectly on the body of the plate. Along the upper edge of the plateretaining devices are provided for securing the tabs T and in thepresent instance these retaining devices embody the panel 10 struckupfrom the body. Sets of aligned keepers 11 and 12 are also thus formed.Between the keepers 12 inwardly oi the panel 10 studs 13 are formed onthe frame. The tabs 90 T include a body 14 and a stem 15 and at thelower end of the stem is an opening 16. To secure the tab to the devicethe stem 15 of a tab T is rst disposed between adjacent keepers 11, 11and is then passed below theh-Juxta- 95 posed portion of the panel 10 toextend be-4 tween adjacent keepers 12, 12 and the stud 13 enters theopening 16. 'Ihe tabs are preferablyinnately resilient and thereforeundesired displacement thereof will be 4prevented after the 160 stud i3has entered the opening 16. The device as thus far described is merelyexemplary of ra printing device with which my invention may beassociated and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails described, for my nventionmay be associated with tabs T of anydesired construction, which may be detachably secured to the printingdevices in any selected manner. l

It has been pointed out that itis an object of my invention to provide alarge number of classification markers in order thatthe number ofprimary selections for the printing devices may be increased. To thisend the classification means or markers in the form of protuberances areembossed at four diEerent-positions on the tabs. The protuberances areformed on the body of the tabs by slitting the tabs longitudinally andthen bending the portion between the slits upwardly from the plane ofthe body whereby the portion appears in relief on one face of the taband in intaglio on the opposite face. Av protuberance A so formed on thetab T is disposed adjacent the upper left hand corner of the body 14, asshown in Fig. 3. In Fig. 4 a protuberance B is shown on the tab locatedadjacent the upper right hand corner` of the body. In Fig. 5 I haveshown a protuberance C located adjacent the lower left hand corner ofthe body. And in Fig. 6 I have shown a protuberance D located adjacentthe lower right hand corner ofthe body.` These tabs are mounted on theprinting devices with the protuberances at the front of the device andthe detectors in the machine operatively engage these protuberances asdescribed; but the tabs may be reversed with the protuberances at theback of the device in which case the depressions formed by theprotuberances and functioning as openings would be engaged by thedetectors with equivalent results in the operations. The printing deviceillustrated in the drawing is one including retaining devices for twelvetabs. Thus, since twelve tabs may be secured to the device and as eachof the-tabs may have four protuberances formed thereon it is manifestthat provision is made for forty-eight classiflcation markers. However,while I have illustrated an arrangement providing forty-eightclassification markers it is to be understood that the printing devicesmight be so arranged that a greater or less number of tabs might besecured thereto and the tabs may have more than four or less than thatnumber of protuberances provided thereon, and by so doing the number ofpossible primary selections might be increased or decreased.

If the printing devices of the described character are being used by amail order house a tab located in the position 17 may indicate thebuying characteristics of a customer. A protuberance A might indicatethat the customer whose name and address is embossed on the platesometimes buys boots and shoes. A protuberance B might indicate that thecustomer buys clothing. A protuberance C might indicate that thecustomer buys books and novelties. While the protuberance D mightindicate that the customer buys groceries.l Thus, a customer buyingboots and shoes, clothing, and books and novelties, but not groceries,would bev represented by a printing device having a tab at the position17 and on this tab protuberances A, B, and C would be provided, but noprotuberance D. Thus, if the machine were set up to address literatureto 4'customers buying boots and shoes and a printing device such as theabove described were passed through the machine an impression would bemade therefrom since the tab in the position 17 would have aprotuberance A thereon. Moreover, if it were desired at the same time tocircularize customers buying clothing and a printing device such as theabove described were passed through the machine it would be used in aprinting operation scribed are employed, but two tab for a protuberanceB is provided on the tab located in the position 17, 'and under thislast'- named set-up of the machine all printing devices having tabs T atthe position 17 with protuberances A and B thereon would be used in"printing operations.

When but one protuberance is used to control the printing impressionsmade from the printing device, it is known as an individual selection.However, groupV selections are sometimes performed as whenit is desiredto print printing devices representing customers ha'ving certain buyingcharacteristics and living in certain geographical areas. Thegeographical areas may be represented by, for example, a tab located inthe position 18 and the protuberances A,- B, C, and D might be used toindicate north, south,`east, and west, respectively, this beingindicative of different sections of the country.

Thus, it might be desired to circularize customers having buyingcharacteristics as above described, living only in the southerndistrict, and therefore only those customers whose printing devices havetabs at the positions 17, as above described, and tabs at the position18 with a protuberance B thereon will be printed.4 Such an operation ofthe machine would be a group selection and the number of possible groupselections is greatly increased. If the tabs themselves were relied uponto afford the classification markers it is-manifest that eight of thetwelve tab positions would be exhausted by the above describedarrangement, for a tab need be provided for each of the above describedcharacteristics. But when printing devices with tabs thereon embodyingprotuberanoes as above depositions need be required to attain theforegoing.

Since the protuberances A, B, C and D appear in relief on one face ofthe tab and in intaglio on the opposite face, it is possible by the useof a suitable detecting mechanism to provide three selections at each ofthe protuberance positions. For example, in the position whereat theprotuberance A is located, a detecting mechanism may be arranged tooperate in one way if it engages the protuberance A as it appears inrelief, to operate in another way if it engages the plane of the tabaswhen no protuberance is formed, and in still another way when itengages the protuberance when it appears in intaglio. Furthermore, thedetecting mechanism need not be arranged to function vin all three ofthese ways but can be arranged to function in say butin two, that is, tofunction when it engages a protuberance or when it engages the face of atab. Under this latter manner of operation in order to change aclassification all Ithat would be required would be removal of the tab,a reversal, and reinsertion. Still another manner in which theprotuberances on the tab can be used is to so emboss the protuberancesthat part of the protuberances appear in relief on one face of lthe taband part in relief on the other face.. All of these arrangements arewithin the purview of my invention and obviously can best be attained byproviding protuberances which appear in relief on one face of' the taband in intaglio on the opposite face.

From the foregoing description it is manifest that I have provided anarrangement affording a large number of primary selections that may beexpeditiously associated with a single printing device. Furthermore, byproviding the classication markers on detachable tabs it is possible toexpeditiously vary the classification of a printing device, for a tab Thaving markers thereon in certain positions may be readily re-` movedand another tab substituted therefor which will have the ,classiiicationmarkers arranged thereonl differently from the rst tab, for it isapparent' that any desired grouping of the classification markers may beprovided on each of the tabs, that is, protuberances A and B may beprovided on a tab or protuberances B and D may be provided orprotuberances C and B or any other desired grouping. Moreover, the tabsmay be easily made and the protuberances may be providedthereon indefinite positions. Thus, it is possible to make up tabs formed in eachof the possible manners and these tabs may be kept in stock and usedwhen so desired, thereby enabling expeditious and economical manufacturewhich will result from the quantity production of tabs.

While I have illustrated and described a selected embodiment of myinvention it is to be understood that this is susceptible of variationand modification and I therefore do not Wish to be limited to theprecise details set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes andalterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A printing device which has means at a plurality of classificationpositions for receiving and holding a tab. the combination of areversible tab engageable with said means in any one vtions of aselector mechanism.

of predetermined positions, the relief side of the` 'embossedclassification means being adapted for cooperation with the detectormeans of a selecto!- mechanism, reversal of said tab positioning therelief side of theembossedclassification means out of position whereatthe means cooperate with the detector means.

y '3. A reversible tab for printing devices having a proturberance'embossed in relief on one face thereof and in intaglio on the oppositeface, the protuberance being adapted for cooperation with the detectorportions of a selector mechanism.

4. A reversible tab for printing devices having classication meansembossed thereon in relief on one face thereof and in intagli'o on theopposite face and positioned within the marginal edge of the tab inselected of predetermined positions, the relief side of saidclassification means being adapted for cooperation with the detectorportions of a selector mechanism.

5. A reversible tab for printing devices having slots therein within themarginal edges thereof in selected of predetermined positions and havingthe portion thereof intermediate said slots embossed to appear in reliefon one face of the tab and in intaglio on the opposite face and adaptedfor cooperation with the detector por- 6. A reversible tab for printingdevices having parallel and coextensive slots therein at selected ofpredetermined positions, the portion of the tab intermediate said slotsbeing embossed to appear in relief on one face of the tab and inintaglio on the opposite face to provide a classication marker adaptedfor cooperation with the detector portions of a selector mechanism.

WALTER T. GQLLWITZER.

